Once it sunk in that we were pregnant with our first.

I always knew I wanted children but wanted to wait until I was married and finished my education. I went off birth control a few weeks before my wedding. I was 30.

Like 5:18, I always at least thought I'd be a mother "someday" in the abstract. I've had periods where it's felt like I wish it would be NOW and have had a few tears, and others where it's not really on my radar. We're actively TTC now, I'm 40.

I always did. It was never a question for me, always a given.

Abstractly I always knew I wanted kids "one day." But I didn't have a real life desire until I met my DH, and something went "procreate with this person, right now!" at 27. 31 now, and we're married but still haven't started trying for kids due to circumstances. Hopefully we'll be able to start trying next year.

Married for three years. I was 31, DH was 33. I didn't feel totally ready but we decided to start trying, knowing it could take a while. We got pregnant on the first try.

I was 30 and we had been married 1.5 years but together since I was 25. I had traveled for fun and traveled for work, I was making good money, had saved a lot, and we bought a house together. There was little I wanted to do as DINKS that wouldn't have been more of the same.

In hind sight the only two things I would have changed is that I would have gone more places as a couple before we had kids (we are lucky if we can get a weekend away with just the two of us now that we have kids) and I wish I had pursued a managerial track when I was consulting and I was in a structured career environment. It would have better to learn the ins and outs before kids and to have done so in an environment where its expected/and structured that you move up within 5-6 years or you move on.

When I started my first nanny job at 19. I was in love with all my charges. Married at 23, but waited until 27 to have a baby. I gave birth the last semester of grad school.

Always knew I wanted to be a mom someday, despite being a tomboy as a kid and not being a 'girly girl' even as an adult. Met DH at 22, married him at 24, but waited until 30 to have our first kid and had another shortly after. The wait let us get grad school, traveling, and saving $ done before we embarked on the much harder work of having kids!

Dh and I met at 18, got married at 24 and didn't feel ready to start trying for kids until 29. It took me a while then to get pregnant, so first didn't come until 31 and second at 33.

I didn't. But I wanted to stay married to my husband and it became clear to me I would lose him if I didn't fire up my uterus. We have two.

I'm one of those stereotypical girls who's wanted to be a mom since I was carrying around dolls. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always answered "a mommy." Oddly, it never really came up when I was dating because I wasn't actively seeking motherhood at 18 or anything, but I was ready for children by the time I got married at 26. As fate would have it, though, I'm IF and didn't have my first until 32.

Anonymous wrote:34. Single mother by choice. Somewhere between 33 and 34 the light bells in the background became clanging akin to the gong show. What sealed it for me was that I had done what I wanted to in life. I owned a 4bed 3.5 BA SFH inside the beltway. HHI was over $150k. I had gotten a Phd and spent time traveling the world. I had built my community and had been an active volunteer with Girl Scouts and helping in Title 1 schools by reading. I also volunteered in a women's abuse shelter helping kids with homework. One day I took stock of how I was choosing to spend my free time and it seemed to be all spent helping other children.

So I decided to have my own even though there was no man in the picture.

Goodness, I'm 21:11. Are you me? I had to look twice about whether I posted this (except I adopted). Glad it worked out for you.

About three years into the marriage.

16

Never dated until I found someone who was marriage and husband material, at 19. Married him at 23, had DC1 at 25.

(And before anyone asks, I am not religious or lacking in graduate degrees, thanks.)